An opening month that has seen QPR play the bottom four gives way to a September where they play four of the top six, starting tonight with title favourites Newcastle at Loftus Road.

Queens Park Rangers v Newcastle United

Championship >>> Tuesday September 13, 2016 >>> Kick Off 19.45 >>> Weather — Scorchio >>> Loftus Road, London, W12

Being struck by a falling conker on the way home from work on Monday (Matthew Rose would have been out for three months in similar circumstances) served as a reminder that this Indian summer we're enjoying/enduring this week is merely delaying the onset of our usual eight-month winter. We'll soon be enjoying our turgid 1-1 draws with Blackburn Rovers in driving sleet as opposed to pissing rain.

So while it's still way too early to be paying much attention to league tables yet — just the 39 games to go after this one — some are already finding it hard to resist and these match preview angles don't find themselves you know so let's have a look.

In theory it makes pretty reading for QPR, nicely nestled in seventh, but as some have pointed out only Barnsley (who beat us 3-2) have ascended to anywhere close to the top half of the table since playing Rangers.

Our three home opponents so far — Blackburn, Preston and Leeds — sit bottom, second bottom and third bottom but only yielded four points from nine for the R's. Wigan, who were beaten by a second half Nedum Onuoha goal at the DW Stadium, are fourth bottom while our other away victims Cardiff are only two places above them. Barnsley, for the record, are third.

That's about to change dramatically in the next month with second-placed Newcastle in town on Tuesday evening followed by a trip to surprise early league-leaders Huddersfield. Fourth-placed Birmingham are at Loftus Road next and this blast of September games concludes with a trip to sixth-placed Fulham — who always annihilate us anyway, regardless of respective form or league positions.

So, perhaps, a reality check, if one were needed after the tedium of the Blackburn and Preston games. If QPR are still seventh come the next international break they'll have done exceptionally well.

That said, there may be a silver lining to playing the division's better teams.

QPR look and feel like quite a cautious team this season. That safety-first, well-drilled defence, hard-work over flair approach naturally suits away games better than home, which may be why we've won twice on the road already without conceding a goal this season. At home, teams, particularly the struggling ones, are happier to sit deep and tight and narrow themselves in an attempt to win at least a point, and QPR found it impossible to break through limited Blackburn and Preston sides — playing out from the back far too slowly, not utilising the wings enough, and allowing their opponents to get back in shape and stay there until attacks petered out.

Newcastle certainly won't be coming to Loftus Road for a point, and Huddersfield will fancy their chances against us on Saturday. Will these more attacking approaches actually play into QPR's hands? Committing more men forward and therefore opening up spaces for Tjaronn Chery and others to operate in? Who knows, we may even score a goal from open play.

In addition, better opponents, tougher games, bigger away followings, may in turn make the QPR fans a good deal more noisy, enthusiastic and supportive. Against Blackburn and Preston, and their tiny travelling support, the atmosphere was non-existent for large parts of the games as people sat on their hands waiting for the supposed inevitable win. When it didn’t materialise, they started to boo.

Or we may just be rubbish. I'm still not convinced anybody knows — Saturday's display could easily have yielded a win but for two excellent saves from Jason Steele and it was just as close to being encouraging as it was discouraging.

Rangers will, undoubtedly, have to be a lot better to get anything from Rafael Benitez's men though. A long old night could be in store if they're not 'at it' right from the off.

Links >>> 4-0 down at half time and then… - History >>> Hill be back at The Loft — Podcast >>> Have we been here before? — Interview >>> Davies in charge — Referee

Highlights from the 5-5 draw between these sides in 1984, when QPR famously came back from 4-0 down at half time.

Tuesday

Team News: Sebastien Polter was forced off at half time on Saturday with a glute injury (well, he does have a bigger glute than most to be fair) and he didn't train with the rest of the team on Monday leaving Conor Washington or new signing Idrissa Sylla pushing for a start. The suspension that prevented Pawel Wszolek making an appearance on Saturday is now over so he may get a debut here — almost certainly from the bench if at all.

Newcastle have Christian Atsu and Daryl Murphy waiting for debuts but England youth international Rolando Aarons will be out for eight weeks after getting caught in a bear trap while out hunting for Pokemon.

Elsewhere: If you can bear to tear yourself away from the absolutely crucial and not at all predictable first lot of Champions League group matches then there’s a big dollop of ten Championship fixtures tonight, and another couple tomorrow as well. Some of them are good as well — league leaders Borussia Huddersfield at Brighton for instance — and some of them are Preston v Cardiff.

A month of shovelling coal has brought the boiler up to nearly full power so expect some managers to start popping soon. Garry Monk looks the favourite, especially if the Champions of Europe happen to surrender the Mad Chicken Farmers’ first win of the season at Elland Road tonight. Nigel Pearson too, with the Derby Chokers languishing down in eighteenth ahead of tonight’s game with Ipswich.

Little attention being paid to Reading — because they’re so bloody dull — but new manager Jaap Staam is already coming fire from supporters — for making them so bloody dull — so their home match with Birmingham this evening looks like the hottest ticket in town.

First invite to Tarquin and Rupert’s Country Cottage for Nigel Clough’s Burton Albion, the mad Wolves project against the surprise package of the season so far Barnsley and Sheffield Owls hosting Bristol City stand out. Norwich v Wigan does not.

Then tomorrow Brentford are at Aston Villa and Nottingham Trees visit Rotherham.

Referee: Andy Davies awarded a penalty (justifiably) against QPR, and then buggered off before the match had even finished the last time he refereed the R's — away at Sheffield Wednesday last season. Let's see if he will grace us with his presence for a full 90 on his first visit to Loftus Road as he prepares to take charge of Newcastle for the first time in his career. History and stats here.

Form

QPR: Tjaronn Chery's spectacular free kick against Blackburn may be one of the greatest dead ball goals ever scored at Loftus Road, but it didn't help snap QPR's run of games without a goal from open play in the league which no stretches all the way back to the final day of last season. All nine scored by Rangers so far this season have come from set plays (four of them penalties). QPR have won two of their three away matches in the league so far, but only one of their three at home despite hosting the bottom-placed team at the time in their last two games on this ground — Preston (0-2) and Blackburn (1-1).

Newcastle: The Magpies started the season with consecutive defeats in the league at Fulham (0-1) and at home to Huddersfield (1-2) but have rebounded with four straight wins in which they've scored nine goals and conceded only once. They come into this match on a run of five straight victories in all competitions, and four consecutive clean sheets. Away from home they've already won 1-0 at Bristol City and 2-0 at Derby after that early set back at Craven Cottage.

Predictions: Reigning Prediction League champion Dylan Pressman says…

“After Saturday's performance, a score draw on Tuesday will feel like a step forward. After a wobbly start to the season, Newcastle have won four in a row and have been playing well. Our one goal will come from Onouha's head from a corner.”

Dylan’s Prediction: QPR 1-1 Newcastle. Scorer — Nedum Onuoha

LFW’s Prediction: QPR 1-2 Newcastle. Scorer — Tjaronn Chery

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JacksDad added 14:35 - Sep 13 Polters goal against Leeds - the 3rd Goal - surely that was from open play? Or am I mis-remembering ?
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Northernr added 15:27 - Sep 13 From a free kick mate.
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TacticalR added 16:02 - Sep 13 Thanks for your preview. I am hoping Luongo (or someone else) can give us a bit of spark in midfield. As for scoring 'a goal from open play', let's not get carried away.
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